


Pleasant Surprise

by Galindrael



Series: A Very Dragon Age Christmas [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: DECFANFIC, Day Ten, Fluff, Gen, Hot Chocolate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-12
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-03-01 03:17:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2757557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galindrael/pseuds/Galindrael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taking place during "Pray for Me". Solas tries to create a new potion for the Commander's condition when Cole decided to pay Solas a visit.</p><p>For the #DecFanFic challenge.</p><p>There are currently 22 parts to this series, the link, for some reason is broken- sorry for the issue, I'm trying to fix it (as of 1 February 2015)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pleasant Surprise

 

Solas was hunched over his desk, staring at his notes trying to find something that would help him. Cullen was still under the effects of his lyrium withdrawal and he was not doing so well; Not enough sleep, not coping well with the shock of it all, just awful as far as Solas was concerned. Solas sighed loudly. The Commander needed to eat more, but he couldn’t keep much of anything down. And the Inquisitor need to sleep more but Cullen was preventing that with his night terrors. It had been maybe 6 weeks after Cullen had hit his head and now the Inquisitor all but refused to leave their room. _Children, the lot of them. No- that’s an unfair remark._ He ran his hands back and forth from atop his head, letting his hands run over the  stubble that had grown. _I need to shave_. His mind began to wander into thoughts that led down a path he did not want to investigate but had a hard time pulling away from. _If Cullen gets too sick…Worse, if he succumbs. We’ll lose the Inquisitor. We’ll lose this fight. And it will all be my fault._ He stood up and as he did he felt the pull of a familiar spirit, “Cole?” he turned around and sure enough Cole was sitting on the couch.

“Hello”, he was looking around the room, mostly focused on the murals.

“Did you need something?”

“No, but I know you’re in pain, so I came to see. To make it better,” Cole stood up and began fiddling with his hands, "Well, try to at least," looking around before making eye-contact.

“I’m fine, Cole, just,” he sighed, “Just stressed. Cullen is still very sick and I’m just... worried,” Solas walked over to Cole, who was now staring at his shoes.

“You’re doing the best you can. She is trying to keep him here. She tries to make him remember. She doesn’t know how to thank you,” Cole’s brow was now furrowed, “You don’t want her thanks, though?”

Solas sometimes hated his perception but it was only because he felt akin to an exposed nerve when Cole dug too deep accidentally, “As I said, stressed,” he offered a fake smile that seemed to temporarily appease the spirit.

“Can I help? I know something that might make you feel better. Cullen gave some to me and it made me feel better, warm. It felt like happy,” _What could he have given Cole?_ Now Solas was too curious to turn him down now. Hoping that the Commander hadn't tried to give him lyrium when he was in his delirious state. _No, the Commander would never, even in that state._

“That would be delightful,” he patted Cole’s shoulder and then Cole just…disappeared.

 

Solas sat down at his desk again, re-reading his old notes. _Maybe if I add some Royal Elfroot in place of regular Elfroot? Would that be too strong? Would Dawn Lotus  be an acceptable replacement?_ Solas went to the workbench Cassandra brought him when she noticed that he was always heading to the Undercroft now that Cullen was sick. Initially he was perturbed that she had took the initiative without asking him, but now he was grateful as he was trying to make something that would help Cullen with his night terrors.

He went to the bench and began pulling out his flasks and herbs, setting up the wild contraption he had become accustom to using nearly every day now that he barely left Skyhold. He felt like those old men doing wild experiments in the temples, but there was no potion meant exactly to fight lyrium withdrawal and night terrors at the same time, yet, here he was. As he was fastening the flasks to the metal rod Cole came in with a tray. _Tea? He knows I hate tea. **Everyone** knows I hate tea._

Cole sat the tray down on the desk in the center of the room and Solas headed to the tray slowly, stretching his neck up slightly to try to see into the cups before he got too close. _Not tea?_ Cole took the one cup in his hand and offered it to Solas. Solas smiled and took the cup from Cole who now had the other cup in his hand. Solas looked into the cup and saw the brown liquid steaming, _coffee?_ He leaned down to smell it but was hit with a sweet smell instead of a bitter familiar smell. When Solas looked up Cole was already drinking his. _Does he need to eat? No, I know he doesn’t. Maybe he likes to? I never thought of that._ Cole stopped drinking, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked to Solas.

“Try it. It’s good. I don’t really like much else,” he ushered.

Solas took a sip of the warm liquid and was pleasantly surprised when the flavour touched his tongue. _Chocolate? Not bad. And…milk?_ He looked to Cole again and watched as he tilts the cup back to empty its contents. Solas chuckled and kept drinking his.

Cole stayed for a bit longer. He liked to help with potion making. Mostly, Solas suspected that he just liked company. Solas was grateful for the help he offered and found himself content despite the recent events. When Cole did finally leave it was rather late, most of the noise from the Keep’s main hall all but silent now. When Cole left, Solas was getting tired but he felt that the potion was just nearly perfected and he rang the kitchen maid to bring him something to help him stay awake a bit longer.

 

Cassandra came in the next day to  retrieve the Commander’s potion that Solas would usually give him with breakfast since Solas, apparently, had forgotten. Cassandra knocked on his door and was surprised to see Solas awake but surrounded by empty cups and completely unaware that she had even knocked.

“Solas? What is,” she gestured to the cups when he finally did turn around, “all this?”

“Oh, yes, right, the Commander’s potion. I have it here,” he grabbed a potion out of the box under his desk and offered it to her, Cassandra took it without looking at him as she was transfixed on the amount of cups in the room. Cassandra picked up a cup, looked into it and set it back where it was.

“Solas, what did you drink this much of?” She finally looked to him.

“Oh,” suddenly Solas looked around noticing how many cups were littering his room, “Uhm- hot chocolate. Cole brought me some yesterday and I seem to have a liking to it”. He chuckled before he went back to his workbench. If she didn't need to deliver the potion she would've pestered the elf about the amount he's consumed.

Cassandra shook her head then left to give the Commander the potion for his pain and when she descended the steps she laughed as she saw the kitchen maid enter Solas’ room with a tray full of cups looking rather bewildered.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this one's a bit late! Got distracted actually playing Dragon Age: Inquisition yesterday and completely forgot to write. As mentioned in the summary, this takes place during the previous installment. Fair warning, either part 11 or part 12 of A Very Dragon Age Christmas will take place a year from the incident in part 9 (Pray for Me). Thank you for reading!


End file.
